The title of Yellowstone's latest episode (Season 5, Episode 12) was "Counting Coup," a phrase not commonly used in today's times, leading many to wonder how it tied into the modern western.
Episode titles in Yellowstone can often be seen as spoilers without context, as they usually don't make sense until the viewer has seen the episode and has an understanding of everything that went down.
For example, Season 5, Episode 11's title, "Three Fifty-Three," referred to John Dutton's official time of death. In that episode, viewers (and some characters) learned what happened at 3:53 a.m. the night John died.
However, some episode titles are a lot more vague than "Three Fifty-Three." For instance, the Yellowstone Season 5, Part 2 premiere was titled "Desire Is All You Need."
That could have referred to Sarah Atwood desiring John to be dead, Market Equities desiring the ranch, Rip still desiring to be a cowboy while in Texas, etc.
The Meaning of 'Counting Coup' In Yellowstone Season 5
Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 12 is titled "Counting Coup," which is not a traditional title or phrase, but one that could not fit the show better.
As mentioned, many Yellowstone episode titles directly foreshadow or even spoil what will happen in the episode without the viewer knowing, and "Counting Coup" did just that.
The term "counting coup" originated among the Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains during intertribal wars. It was recognized as the absolute highest honor a Native American warrior could achieve in battle.
Counting coup was the tradition of showing the highest form of courage by getting close enough to an enemy to strike them or touch them with a hand, bow, or coup stick without dealing any real damage.
More than anything, it hurt an enemy's pride and made them realize that they were dealing with someone who was quite lethal on the battelfield.
This act was so prestigious because of how dangerous it was, and, if a warrior were to pull it off, their individual status among other warriors often rose dramatically.
In Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 12, counting coup is not only the title of the episode but also directly refers to Kayce getting in the car with Grant Horton, the man who orchestrated the hit against John Dutton.
Kayce essentially performed the act of counting coup by getting close enough to Grant to get in the car with him and threaten him and his daughter. However, he took things a step further by finding out Grant's addresses, information about Grant's family, and everything else Kayce could know about his personal life.
So, in terms of counting coup, Kayce performed it to the highest standard, and if he had been a warrior in the Great Plains, his actions would have granted him a lot of honor and respect among his peers.
What makes the term even more applicable to Yellowstone is the fact that Mo Brings Plenty's Mo helped Kayce carry out the act.
Mo Brings Plenty is a Native American himself, and also plays an Indigenous person in the series. Since counting coup is a Native American tradition and Mo helped Kayce perform it, using the term is even more valid.
It is also worth mentioning that the term, "counting coup" was also used in dialogue at the very end of the episode.
After Kayce got into the car with Mo, Kayce said, "I think he understands." Mo then asked, "Did you count coup?" and Kayce replied, "I counted coup."
Mo then simply stated, "Then he understands." So, it was made clear that Kayce's actions were put into motion by Mo, who probably told Kayce about the traditions of his people and how effective they could be.
Yellowstone is streaming on Peacock, and new episodes premiere every Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.
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